Gastr del Sol

Gastr del Sol was a Chicago band consisting, for most of their career, of David Grubbs and Jim O'Rourke. Between 1993 and 1998 they put out seven records ranging in genre from post-rock (the scene they were most associated with) to musique concrète.

Early lineup

Grubbs, a former member of Squirrel Bait and Bastro, formed the band in Chicago in 1991. They released their first album, "The Serpentine Similar", in 1993. This early lineup saw Grubbs joined by Bundy K. Brown and John McEntire, both members of Bastro's final incarnation, on bass guitar and drums, respectively. In 1994 Brown and McEntire left to join Tortoise and guitarist, composer and producer Jim O'Rourke joined.

Duo lineup

At this point Gastr del Sol became mainly a collaboration between Grubbs and O'Rourke, joined by an ever-changing collection of guests. Though McEntire was no longer a full member, he continued contributing to many Gastr del Sol recordings and concerts.

Most releases by this lineup were on Chicago's Drag City Records, beginning with the acoustic guitar-based "Crookt, Crackt, or Fly" in 1994. "Work From Smoke", the centerpiece of this album, fused Grubbs and O'Rourke's penchant for atonal guitar interplay with bass clarinet and Grubbs's increasingly surreal lyrics.

A pair of releases followed quickly in 1995. The "Mirror Repair" EP added elements of electronic music. "The Harp Factory on Lake Street", released on the Table of the Elements label, was their most experimental work, a piece for chamber orchestra with only occasional voice and piano from Grubbs.

1996's "Upgrade & Afterlife" included a would-be film score by O'Rourke, "Our Exquisite Replica of 'Eternity'", and an extended interpretation of the John Fahey piece "Dry Bones in the Valley" featuring guest Tony Conrad on violin.

With the release of "Camoufleur" in 1998, Gastr del Sol progressed further into the realm of conventional melodies and chamber pop, creating their most accessible and popular album. Its chord patterns, melodies, and flugelhorn and string-heavy arrangements prefigure O'Rourke's future pop releases. The album was co-written with Markus Popp, of the pioneering German glitch group Oval, who contributed to the electronic aspects of the album.

After "Camoufleur" the band split up. Grubbs and O'Rourke have both continued to release albums under their own names in the fields of rock, pop, and experimental music.

Partial discography

*"The Serpentine Similar" (Teenbeat/Drag City 1993)
*"20 Songs Less" (Teenbeat 1993)
*"Crookt, Crackt, or Fly" (Drag City 1994)
*"Mirror Repair" (Drag City 1995)
*"The Harp Factory on Lake Street" (Table of the Elements 1995)
*"Upgrade & Afterlife" (Drag City 1996)
*"Camoufleur" (Drag City 1998)

External links

* [http://web.archive.org/web/20070203192842/http://www.bitmine.net/~gnat/gastr.html Work from Smoke: A Gastr del Sol Resource]
* [http://tisue.net/orourke/ Jim O'Rourke discography] with details on other Gastr del Sol recordings